Safety chain fastener



Jan. 29 192.4. 1,482,316

E. B. NENTWIG SAFETY CHAIN .FASTENER Filed July 9. 1923 2 Shee ts-Sheet l m: liwestfidventarig lNVENTO (4*:

WITNESSW ATTORNEY Jan. 29 1924.

E. B. NENTWIG SAFETY CHAIN FASTENER Fil ed July 9. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet z WlTNiESSM connections of portions in construction, in the fastening fastener in .the

Patented an. 29, 1924.

ERNEST B. N'ENTWIG, OF J'IJZG'EYERS(3N CITY, MISSOURI.

SAFETY CHAIN FASTEHER.

Application fled July 8, 1923. Serial R0. 650,460.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. NENTWIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefferson City, in the county of Cole and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Chain Fasteners,.of which the following is a specification.

The general object of my said invention is the provision of a safety chain fastener characterized by simplicity and strength or connection of twojchain ortions, and y the capacity of affording average and-thereby tig tening a chain in cident=to the fastening of the, chain for the of" the same together. y 4

The invention is'designed more particularly, though not necessarily, foruse in association with the chains of automobilewheels.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, part of this specification Figure 1 is an elevation showing one side of a safety chain fastener constructed in accordance with my invention, the fastener being shown in association with the ends of a chain and being shown in a close state.

Figure 2 is a view showing the said fastener in an open state and with one end link in the notch in the body of the fastener. Figure 3 is an elevation showing the opposite side of the fastener to that shown 1n igure 1, and also showing the fastener in c ose state. Figures 4 and 5 are elevations of the opposite edges of the fastener. I

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken throughthe fastener in the plane indicated by the line 66 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a cross-section through the plane indicated bythe line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are views of a modification hereinafter explicity referred to.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings to which reference will first be made.

The chain 1 may be of the construction point remote from by facility of manipulation I .member 10 of the fastener.

forming illustrated or of any other constriction compatible with my invention. To one end of the chain 1. is pivotally or otherwise connected at 2 the body 3 of in novel fastener, the chain 1 being provided at its op osite end with a link 4, designed tobe detac ably arranged" and held in the fastener as hereinafter described. In one edge and at a the connection 2, the fastener body is provided with a notch 5 to, receive the link 4 as hereinafter set forth. At one side the body 3 is provided with a turn utton 6 mounted to swing on a lateral post 1 carried by the body 3 and equipped with a finger piece 8. Pivotally connected at 9 to the body 3 at the opposite side of the notch 5, with reference to the post 7 and turn button 6 is the levera e-afi'ording Said leverageaffording member 10 comprises an inner section 11 in which is a notch 12 to seat the link 4, and a sidewise swin able outer sec.- tion 13 hingedly connectef at 14 to the section 11 and havin a slot 15 whereby it is adapted to be passed laterally inward over and beyond the turn button 6. It is within the'purviewof my invention to construct the inner section 11 of the member 10 in any approved manner. I prefer, however, to make a portion of the said section 11 of U-shape in cross-section so as to enable it in the closed state of the fastener'to straddle the body 3 and thereby lend increased strength to the fastener as a. whole, while closing the notch 5 in the body 3 .so as to preclude the accidental displacement of the link 4 from the said notch 5. It will also be appreciated that when the fastener is in -.an open state the bight of the U-shaped ortion of the inner lever section 11. will ear against the edge of the body 3 and thereb hold the lever member in alinement with the body 3.

In the practical use of the fastener, the link i is placed in the notch 12 while the outer section 13 of the lever member is in alinement with the inner section 11 of said member. In virtue of this the levermemher is manifestly of considerable strength, and is therefore adapted to .seri e for the adequate tightening of the chain i when the lever member is thrown ever so as to lace its notch 12 opposite the notch 5 in the body 3 and position iink' i in the said notch a anemia 5. After the positioning of the link 4 in the notch 5, the outer section 13 of the lever member is swung inwardly on the hinge pintle and toward one side of the body 3 and so that the slot 15 in the section 13 asses inwardly beyondthe turn button 6. lhe said turn button 6 is thenturned to a position at an-angle to the slot 15 when as will be readily understood the lever membei- 10 will be secured in side by side relation to the bod 3 so that there will be no possibility of t. c connected and tightened chain being casually disconnected and released. When, however, it is desired for any reason todust and remove the chain link 4 from the fastener, the operationdescribed is versed ;i. e., the turn' button 6'is turned to a position in registration with the slot in the section 13, the said section 13 is swung away from the body 3 and past the turn button 6, and the lever member 10 as a whole is swung on the pintle 9 until the said lever member-10 is in substantial alinement with the body 3. When-the lever member 1O is swung to-open position as stated, the link 4 ma be removed from the body notch 5 and s ifted over the lever member for the ends of the disconnection of-the ends of the chain, and for theready removal of the chainflfrom an automobile wheel when the chain is of the,

wheel type. I

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 8,9 and 10, the fastener body is designated by 3', and is characterized by notches 6 arranged adjacent to its ends. Said body 3' is also characterized by a transverse post 7- and by turn buttons (it .the latter arranged at opposite sides of the body 3 and in spaced relation thereto. In addition to the body 3 the modification comprises leverage afi'ording members 10 and 10* hingzdlly connected to the opposite y 3' at the points 9". Each of the leverage-afi'ording or lever members .includes an inner section 11 with a notch 12, and anouter section, the outer section on the section 10' being numbered 13", and the outer section on t e section 10" being numbered 13". The said outer sections are hingedly connected at 14 to the inner sections, and. each is fprovided with a slot 15 for the passage 0 one turn button 6". I would also have it understood that the sections 13' and 13" are each adapted to be alined with the adjacent inner section. The section 13 however, is adapted to be swung sidewise on its inner section 11' in one direction, while the section 13 is adapted to be swung sidewise on its inner section 11' in the opposite direction. This provision serves when the sections 11 are swung inwardly on the pivots 9' to permit one section'13 to be moved inwardly past one turn button 6', andthe 0 er section 13 to be moved inwardly past 0 other turn button Then when the turn buttons 5' are positioned at angles to the 1058 .1 19h? fll and 13 will be dctacheb y Secured in si y side relation to the body 3*- Manitestly t e S modified construction is adapted for use in conjunction with a chain having links such as 4 at its opposite ends; and it will also be appreciated that the modification is possessed of all of the practical advantages ascribed to the fastener shown in Figures 1 to 7. the modification being in effect an extension or elaboration of the construction shown in Figures 1 to 7.

In addition to the practical advantages ascribed to my novel fastener it will be readily appreciated that the fasteneris simple and inexpensive in construction, is susceptible of ready manipulation without un-' due effort on the part of an operator, and is well adapted to" withstand the usage to which automobile wheel chain fasteners are ordinarily subject d.

I have entered int a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present ,P efer ed embodiments of my-invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding ofthc said embodiments. I

do not desire,'however, to be understood as confining myself to the speci c construction and relative arrangement of arts inasmuch as in the future practice 0, the invention various changes and modifications ma be made such as fall within the scope o my invention as defined in my appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A fastener comprising a body with a notch, a lever member having an inner section pivotally connected to the body and notched and also having an outer section hingedly connected for sidewise swinging to the inner section and adapted when the inner member'is closed to be swu laterally a ainst one side of the body, an means carrie by the body and adapted after the said swmgm of t e outer section against the body to moved to position to hold said outer section against lateral movement away from the body.

2. A fastener comprising a body with a notch, a lever member having an inner section pivotally connected to the body and notched and also havin an outer section hingedly connected for Si ,ewise swinging to the inner section and. adapted when the inner member. is closed to be swung laterally against one side of the body, and means carried b the body and adapted after the said swinging of t e outer section against the body to be moved to position to hold said outer section against lateral movement away from the body; the said outer section of the lever member being pro for the achain to which one end vided with a slot, and the said holding means on the body being in the form of a turn button.

3. A fastener comprising a body with a notch, a lever member having an inner sec tion pivotally connected to the body and notched and also having anouter section hingedly connected for sidewise swinging to the inner section and adapted when the inner member is closed to be swung laterally against one side of the-body, and means carried by the bod and adapted after the said swingin of t e outer section against the body to e moved to position to hold said outer section against lateral movement awa from the body; the said inner section of tie lever member being of U-shape in cross-section whereby when the lever member is closed said inner section will straddle the body and when saidxlever member is open the bight of the inner section thereof will bring up against the edge of the body urpose set forth. 4

4. A astener comprising a body with a notch, a lever member havmg an inner section pivotally connected to the body and notched and also having an outer section hingedly connected for sidewise swinging to the inner section and adapted when the inner member is closed to be swung laterally against one side of the body, and means carried by the body and adapted after the said swinging of the outer section against the body to be moved to position to hold said outer section against lateral movement away from the body, in combination with of the body is pivotally connected, said chain having a link to beseated in the notch of the lever and each including an inner notched section a and an outer section hinged for sidewise swinging to the inner section, and means carried by the body at the opposite sides thereof and adapted when the lever members enclosed and the hinged sections, of said lever members are swung against oppo site sides of the body to detachably secure said hinged sections against opposite sides of the body.

- 6. A fastener for interposition between and connected to spaced links, the said fastener comprising a body with notches adjacent to its ends, lever members. pivotally connected to the end portions of the body and each including an inner notched section and an outer section hinged for sidewise swingingito the inner section, and means carried by the body at the opposite sides thereof and adapted when the lever members are closed and the hinged sections of said lever members are swung against opposite sides of the body to detachably secure 'said hinged sections against opposite sides of the body; the said hinged sections of the lever members being each provided with a slot, and theholding means at opposite sides of the body being in the form of turn buttons.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature. ERNEST B. NENTWIG. 

